Spindle brake mechanism



June 1, 1943. D. A. cABoT 2,320,565

SPINDLE BRAKE MECHANISM Filed March 7, 1942 &

Patented June 1, 1943 UNITED SPINDLE BRAKE MECHANISDI Deane A. Cabot, Saco, Maine, assignor to Sam- Lowell Shops, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application March 7, 1942, Serial No. 433,771

2 Claims.

This invention relates to spindles of the type used in spinning and twister frames.

It is the chief object of the invention to devise a brake mechanism for spindles of this character which will be exceptionally eiiective, reliable in operation, and which can be manufactured and installed economically or dismantled quickly for replacement or repairs.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a spindle structure embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with some parts in section, illustrating the structure shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

The construction shown in the drawing comprises a spindle base 2 which may be mounted in the usual manner on a spindle rail 3. A blade 4 is supported in said base and carries a whirl 5 rigidly secured thereon. So far as this general organization of parts is concerned, it is substantially like those common in spinning or twister spindles. According to the present invention, however, the whirl 5 is provided with an annular skirt 6 projecting downwardly from the main body thereof, and a split brake ring I is positioned inside the skirt. It rests loosely on a flat upper surface of a portion of the base 2, and it encircles an extension 8 of the base which projects upwardly above said surface. The forward side of this extension, that is the side toward the operator, is cut away, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide a space in which a wedge I0 is positioned, this wedge resting between and engaging the opposed ends of the ring I. At points adjacent to the opposite end faces of the ring it is bent,

as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, so that these parts of the ring approach the wedge in more nearly a right angle relationship thereto than otherwise would be the case.

In order to operate the wedge, a lever 12 provided with a knee pad [3 is fulcrumed at [4 on the base 2 and includes an end portion [5 which extends upwardly into a slot formed to receive it in the wedge [0. Consequently, when the knee pad I3 is pressed inwardly, this movement forces the wedge l0 outwardly, thus expanding the ring 1 into engagement with the inner circumferential surface of the skirt 6, and thereby arresting the rotative movement of the whirl and the blade on which it is secured.

It should be observed that the ring I and the wedge l0 merely rest loosely in position in essentially a floating relationship to the adjacent parts, and that the fulcrum pin 14 for the lever l2 rests in a hole 16 drilled vertically in the base 2. Consequently, the assembly of these parts is an exceedingly simple matter, can be quickly performed, and does not require any fitting or skill on the part of the workman. Also, the-nature of the parts is such that they can be manufactured very economically. When the brake ring wears out, or it becomes necessary to replace any of the parts for any reason, the spindle blade 4 and the whirl 5 may be lifted out of the base, after which the worn parts may be removed and replaced with new ones. These operations require little more than a moments time and make the braking mechanism as good as new again, unless the skirt 6 is worn, in which event the blade and whirl assembly can also be replaced.

Having this described my invention, what I desire to claim'as new is:

1. In a spindle structure, the combination with a spindle blade, a whirl secured fast thereon and a base in which said blade is mounted for rotation, of a brake ring resting on the horizontal surface of a portion of said base and encircling an extension of said base projecting upwardly above said surface, said ring being positioned within the skirt of said whirl and having opposed ends spaced apart at the forward side of said structure, the end portions of said ring adjacent to said ends being bent backwardly, a wedge positioned between said opposed ends of the ring, and a lever at the forward side of said structure, fulcrumed on said base, and having an end portion engaging said wedge to move it backward and forward between said ends of the ring.

2. A spindle structure according to preceding claim 1, in which said lever is fulcrumed on a transversely extending pin and said base has a recess formed vertically in front of and below said wedge in which said pin is positioned.

DEANE A. CABOT'. 

